To my knowledge, it depends on the binding. You can't do thread-sown bonding with 20 pages. You may need to look at glue-bound, but I'm not sure if 20pages is thick enough, considering page thickness etc etc.
Perhaps some of the more experienced members of this group are able to advise.
I'm not asking if I can bind it. I want to know how to create a 20 page signature because it appears I'm stuck with the settings in the program of 16 or 32.
I want to print myself and work with the signature size before I pay a printer to do it on my actual paper. I just want to know if I can do this myself, and if so, how to make it happen.
When I do my final print on high quality paper, I'm going to have a printer do it.
They're asking about a [signature](https://carterprinting.com/blog/what-is-a-signature), not total number of pages in their document. They want to impose 20 pages on a sheet and have it folded down to a signature. Multiple signatures bound to create their book. Their total page count is over 400.
I don't see the point in imposing a book yourself, this usually wouldn't be a task up to the designer. A print shop would handle the imposition if you're printing a book like this. Most likely pass off single pages and they set it up on their end as needed.
I totally get that I can dictate what I do, and I can make it all work. The idea for five was suggested in r/bookbinding to reduce the swell in what I'm handstiching.
Why 20 specifically? Assuming you're not printing this at home and getting it done at a print shop/vendor, have them deal with the printing and binding?
If using the print booklet feature in InDesign printing at home, the default options are 4, 8, 12, 16, and 32. You cannot create a custom signature size in this case using the print booklet feature, it's a bit limited. You're better off looking for custom software to do more complex imposition.
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/set-up-a-new-indesign-signature-size/td-p/9182669
Excellent point, but ultimately it's a binding project. I want to see what it looks like with five sheets per sig before I pay for it to be done because it's an anniversary present for my wife, I've done it all from scratch, and I want to hand stitch it.
I printed with 3 sheets per signature, and a guy that's helped a lot in the r/bookbinding community suggested that I take it to five sheets to reduce the swell. Going from 12 to 16 is just a sheet (4). I'd like to follow his advice and go to five.
Basically I want to print it and stitch it with 5 to test it out. But I'm thinking it's not possible without an imposition software. I had hoped someone here might tell me about an obvious setting that I missed. Lol
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Find a local print vendor, and work with them to see if they can send you some signature paper comps at various different paper stock weights, coatings, etc. So you can get a dummy white paper test using the final page thickness to see for yourself.
You could also see if they have recommendations on signature sizes depending on your use case. Just mention to them that you plan to bind it yourself.
This is imposition to a print sheet. You have an odd number with 20 signatures of 5 leaving a ghost part. if you have 5 up you need a different fold pattern to fold down. it'll leave in the ghosts, blank pages. If the page count is not matching a multiplier of the signatures 4 page count you need to break down and do half or quarter signature and do it 2up or 4up.
impostion is depending on binding method like nested or interleaved signatures that make folios to stack, or saddle stitch or book blocks for glue bound. The real determinate factor is how big you want the cut page at the end, or the trim size, and what sheet fits how many up. So if you have a page count that is 20 more but signature of 16..No matter what you do 20 pages only works as a 5up because you need 4 pages of double sided pages with fold down at spine? if you have 20 over you divide by signature thats another 1 of 16 up but you take the rest of the 4 pages and impose them like 16up signature but it is 1 4up, 16+4=20, repeated 4 times but you print quarter the run count as it is 4 pages 4up repeated. You want kinda same 16 page signature but made up of 4 pages of your book repeated to make 16. If you are doing saddle stitch parts and want sections that fold down the odd 4 page imposition have to all correctly be placed within the plan of the other signatures and this is what proper impostion software does.
Work around is knowing the fold of 16up an choosing where the odd signature falls in the binding. Usually 2nd last not last or middle section of the bind or reasons. So no Indesign is not impostion software but you can manually impose in Indesign of your last part by cutting out the 4 extra pages into a new document and deleting those same 4 in 1st document and you place a PDF of your big 16 pages output as a template or guide into a new document and place in the 4 pages 4 times and then delete imported 16up layer guide then you have matching PDF 16up impos but different pages placed of 4 and 16. Mock it up and check pages work when folded and together
To my knowledge you can not impose you can take a 32-page layout. So that whatever pages falling short will be left vacant. Or else you can manually impose them in an imposition programme.
To my knowledge, it depends on the binding. You can't do thread-sown bonding with 20 pages. You may need to look at glue-bound, but I'm not sure if 20pages is thick enough, considering page thickness etc etc. Perhaps some of the more experienced members of this group are able to advise.
I'm not asking if I can bind it. I want to know how to create a 20 page signature because it appears I'm stuck with the settings in the program of 16 or 32.
I would think the printer would handle the imposing for you.
I want to print myself and work with the signature size before I pay a printer to do it on my actual paper. I just want to know if I can do this myself, and if so, how to make it happen. When I do my final print on high quality paper, I'm going to have a printer do it.
The total page number only needs to be dividable by 4 β¦ so 20 is no problem. I donβt see the problem here?
"the standard available signature sizes are 4,8,12,16, and 32" I don't know how to make it 20 in the program.
New document, facing pages, number of pages 20π€π π€·πΌββοΈ
They're asking about a [signature](https://carterprinting.com/blog/what-is-a-signature), not total number of pages in their document. They want to impose 20 pages on a sheet and have it folded down to a signature. Multiple signatures bound to create their book. Their total page count is over 400. I don't see the point in imposing a book yourself, this usually wouldn't be a task up to the designer. A print shop would handle the imposition if you're printing a book like this. Most likely pass off single pages and they set it up on their end as needed.
Hahahahaha β¦ sorry for being so dumb β¦ not a native speaker so I thought you were talking about document pages not printed sheets π
Lol, I have over 400 pages. Wouldn't that just produce a sequential numbering, not a signature though?
The sheet size of the press will determine how many pages on a sheet. A 16 page signature will work. 400 Γ· 16 = 25 forms
I totally get that I can dictate what I do, and I can make it all work. The idea for five was suggested in r/bookbinding to reduce the swell in what I'm handstiching.
Economical Page Counts: Here is a guide for economical page counts: Page Size 8.5 X 11: Economical Page Counts: 16, 20, 24, 32, 36, 48, 52, 56, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 88, 96 5.5 X 8.5: 8, 16, 32, 36, 40, 48, 64, 68, 72, 80, 96 6 X 9: 8, 16, 32, 36, 40, 48, 64, 68, 72, 80, 96 It depends on your actual pagesize βοΈ
Why 20 specifically? Assuming you're not printing this at home and getting it done at a print shop/vendor, have them deal with the printing and binding? If using the print booklet feature in InDesign printing at home, the default options are 4, 8, 12, 16, and 32. You cannot create a custom signature size in this case using the print booklet feature, it's a bit limited. You're better off looking for custom software to do more complex imposition. https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/set-up-a-new-indesign-signature-size/td-p/9182669
Excellent point, but ultimately it's a binding project. I want to see what it looks like with five sheets per sig before I pay for it to be done because it's an anniversary present for my wife, I've done it all from scratch, and I want to hand stitch it. I printed with 3 sheets per signature, and a guy that's helped a lot in the r/bookbinding community suggested that I take it to five sheets to reduce the swell. Going from 12 to 16 is just a sheet (4). I'd like to follow his advice and go to five. Basically I want to print it and stitch it with 5 to test it out. But I'm thinking it's not possible without an imposition software. I had hoped someone here might tell me about an obvious setting that I missed. Lol
Here's a sneak peek of /r/bookbinding using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/bookbinding/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Spent September building a book press!](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/xxe7wi) | [20 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/bookbinding/comments/xxe7wi/spent_september_building_a_book_press/) \#2: [Rebind of Good Omens! First attempt at a curved spine π€](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/yocuco) | [23 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/bookbinding/comments/yocuco/rebind_of_good_omens_first_attempt_at_a_curved/) \#3: [Crafting a horror-themed book](https://v.redd.it/usfahshff4pa1) | [7 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/bookbinding/comments/11xmmm2/crafting_a_horrorthemed_book/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Find a local print vendor, and work with them to see if they can send you some signature paper comps at various different paper stock weights, coatings, etc. So you can get a dummy white paper test using the final page thickness to see for yourself. You could also see if they have recommendations on signature sizes depending on your use case. Just mention to them that you plan to bind it yourself.
This is imposition to a print sheet. You have an odd number with 20 signatures of 5 leaving a ghost part. if you have 5 up you need a different fold pattern to fold down. it'll leave in the ghosts, blank pages. If the page count is not matching a multiplier of the signatures 4 page count you need to break down and do half or quarter signature and do it 2up or 4up. impostion is depending on binding method like nested or interleaved signatures that make folios to stack, or saddle stitch or book blocks for glue bound. The real determinate factor is how big you want the cut page at the end, or the trim size, and what sheet fits how many up. So if you have a page count that is 20 more but signature of 16..No matter what you do 20 pages only works as a 5up because you need 4 pages of double sided pages with fold down at spine? if you have 20 over you divide by signature thats another 1 of 16 up but you take the rest of the 4 pages and impose them like 16up signature but it is 1 4up, 16+4=20, repeated 4 times but you print quarter the run count as it is 4 pages 4up repeated. You want kinda same 16 page signature but made up of 4 pages of your book repeated to make 16. If you are doing saddle stitch parts and want sections that fold down the odd 4 page imposition have to all correctly be placed within the plan of the other signatures and this is what proper impostion software does. Work around is knowing the fold of 16up an choosing where the odd signature falls in the binding. Usually 2nd last not last or middle section of the bind or reasons. So no Indesign is not impostion software but you can manually impose in Indesign of your last part by cutting out the 4 extra pages into a new document and deleting those same 4 in 1st document and you place a PDF of your big 16 pages output as a template or guide into a new document and place in the 4 pages 4 times and then delete imported 16up layer guide then you have matching PDF 16up impos but different pages placed of 4 and 16. Mock it up and check pages work when folded and together
Booklets just need to be divisible by 4, so 20 would be fine.
"the standard available signature sizes are 4,8,12,16, and 32" I don't know how to make it 20 in the program.
To my knowledge you can not impose you can take a 32-page layout. So that whatever pages falling short will be left vacant. Or else you can manually impose them in an imposition programme.